


christmas lights

by namananas



Category: K-pop, Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Best Friends, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Lights, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Non-Idol AU, chan is mentioned for like a second, minsung if you squint, this takes place in america to make it easier for me to write lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 16:20:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16957413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/namananas/pseuds/namananas
Summary: maybe winter wasn’t so bad after all.





	christmas lights

Winter seemed to be everyone’s favorite season.

School was going to close for break in a week. Christmas was pretty much right around the corner. Snow had even begun to fall almost regularly. Not enough snow for parents to force poor teenagers to shovel it out of their driveway, but enough snow for people to start wearing winter coats and gloves everywhere they went.

Lee Felix loved winter. He loved everything about it. The Christmas lights, the snow, the hot chocolate, peppermint – the list went on for him. Winter had always been one of his favorite seasons, especially as child. He couldn’t count all of the good memories he had associated with the season on all of his fingers.

Seo Changbin didn’t understand all the hype his best friend had for the season. Sure, it wasn’t the worst season. Changbin just preferred the autumn, especially since shoveling snow didn’t happen during that time.

Their favorite seasons weren’t the only thing they didn’t agree with. In fact, for a couple of best friends, they sure were different.

Lee Felix was the popular kid. With a heart of gold and a smile that could put the sun to shame, it wasn’t a surprise that he was a people’s person. He had that boyish charm that resulted in everyone liking him, even the nasty, old teachers that no one else liked.

Changbin, on the other hand, wasn’t exactly popular. Sure, a lot of people knew him, but that was mostly because of his friendship with Felix. Despite being quite short, he managed to intimidate many people. He didn’t mean to – honestly – it wasn’t his fault he had a resting bitch face.

Really though, Changbin was an absolute sweetheart. He just liked to act tough, which resulted in the intimidated looks he would receive as he walked to his classes.

Despite all of that, the two of them were extremely close. So close, in fact, that Changbin’s own parents thought he was into his best friend. It took quite a long (and embarrassing) conversation with them to prove that he wasn’t just lying to his parents to get him off his back.

He only saw Felix as a friend. At least, up until the following Tuesday.

* * *

Changbin stuffed his hands into his winter coat as he waited for Felix to hurry up already. The pair always walked to school, especially because Changbin didn’t have a car yet and Felix seemed to be in no rush to get his license.

He had no problem with waiting for the younger, but that wasn’t the case for today. It was below 40 degrees, and Felix just seemed to be taking his sweet time.

This boy was going to be the death of him.

Literally, if he waited any longer, he might die of hypothermia.

“Yah, Lee Felix!” Changbin exclaimed once the door opened. “Not only did I almost freeze to death while waiting for you,” the raven-haired boy exaggerated, “But we’re going to be late to school now.” When Felix didn’t make a comment and chose to just shrug, he instantly knew something was up. “What’s on your mind?”

The younger just flashed him a fake smile with a shake of his head. “Don’t worry. Come on, let’s go,” he replied shortly as he walked past him, leaving the male behind confused.

* * *

The walk to school was quiet. Way too quiet for Changbin’s liking. He had tried to make conversation as they walked, but he got rather short responses. That basically confirmed that something was wrong with Felix – the boy loved to talk.

He couldn’t help but wonder what had him in this mood. Out of all these years of friendship, he had never seen Felix in a mood like this. It was on his mind throughout his entire first and second periods. Not that he minded, though. He’d rather run through the possibilities of what was wrong with his friend then learn about economics and health education. (Really, they were all common knowledge. Why did he need to hear yet another teacher warn everyone about the dangers of not having protected sex?)

By lunchtime, the thoughts went away. Until he saw Felix sitting at their lunch table all dejectedly. He saw him give their mutual friend Jisung a fake smile at something he said before going back to pick at his food.

When Changbin took a seat, Jisung wasted no time in asking, “What is up with him today?” He nodded his head towards Felix.

“Ay, you know I’m right here, right? I can hear you,” Felix said with a raise of his eyebrow.

Jisung rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, as if he really did forget that Felix was right here with them. It seemed as if the topic was going to drop, but Changbin was not letting that happen so easily.

“Really, though. What is up to you today?” When it looked as if he was going to get no response, he made sure to add, “You’ve been worrying me.”

Just hearing those words come out of his hyung’s mouth made Felix feel bad. He should have told him, he knew how worried Changbin gets whenever one of their friends are upset. “Sorry, please don’t worry anymore, Changbinnie. Just worried about finals, that’s all.”

Ah, now it made sense. Finals were at the end of the week, Changbin should have known that was the reason. One of their friends who had graduated last year, Chris, had told him that this year of school would be the most important, and it seemed to really freak him out. Before he could say anything to make him feel better, Jisung jumped back into the conversation.

“Really? That’s why you’re so weird today?” He asked Felix, although he didn’t bother waiting for his reply. “Tell you what! We should all get together the night after finals and go look at the Christmas lights downtown. You love it, don’t you Lix?”

Of course, it wasn’t even a question that the boy loved the lights. He wasn’t a stranger to voicing the way he felt about everything related to Christmas and winter.  
  
”Well, yeah, but...” Felix began to trail off before getting interrupted.  
  
”No buts! We’re going, even if I have to literally drag you out of your house,” Jisung said with a grin. Anyone who knew the boy knew that he was being completely honest. In fact, he’s done it before.  
  
With a small smile, Felix nodded his head slowly. “Alright. But Binnie has to come too, otherwise I’m not,” he said, arching an eyebrow up to look at the boy right next to him.  
  
Changbin put his sandwich down with a shake of his head. “You guys know that I don’t really like those kinds of things that much. Besides, it’ll probably be really crowded,” he declared, trying to get out of it.  
  
Jisung wasn’t taking no for an answer. “Oh come on, Lix really wants to go. Can you really look him in the eye and break his heart like that?” He questioned, although he knew that he couldn’t do that. Changbin may have seemed heartless, but he had a soft spot for Felix. So when he turned to see the younger looking up at him hopefully, he couldn’t help but give in.  
  
”Ugh, fine, whatever,” he grumbled. “I’m not driving though,” he added in immediately, knowing that Jisung would probably ask him to borrow his parents’ car and drive them. Jisung seemed to have already known Changbin would say that.  
  
”That’s fine, I’ll ask Minho if he wants to come and drive us,” Jisung’s eyes lit up as he mentioned Minho. Minho was in the same grade as Changbin, which meant he had gotten held back since he was already two years older than Felix and Jisung.   
  
Minho had seemed nice enough from the limited interaction Changbin had shared with him. “Just say you’re whipped for him and go already. This was probably just an excuse for you to see him more outside of school,” he teased, and judging from the heat rushing into Jisung’s face, he was right.  
  
Felix laughed loudly, already indicating that he was in a better mood than before. “It’s okay, Jisung, the thought was there,” he added to further the teasing before glancing at his watch. “Oh, man. I gotta get to class right now, I’ll see you guys later,” he said before grabbing his backpack and running off, not before sparing a wave back at the two.   
  
Changbin didn’t even know he was still staring in the direction Felix had run off in before Jisung laughed loudly and patted his arm. “Huh? What?” Changbin asked, assuming that Jisung had been saying something and caught him zoning out.  
  
This just served to make Jisung laugh even louder. “Hyung, I didn’t even say anything. Man, you’re really whipped for Felix, aren’t you?” He asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows.  
  
Changin shoved his arm off. “Shut up, we’re just friends,” he said with a roll of his eyes.  
  
It was Jisung’s turn to roll his eyes. “Everyone sees how you look at him. I’m your friend, and you don’t look at me like that.”  
  
”You and I are not friends.”  
  
”Shut up, and stop being edgy already. I know you love me,” Jisung retorted before grabbing his bag. “All I’m saying is that maybe you should think about it. I’m like 100% sure he likes you, too. You guys would be pretty cute,” he winked before walking off in the direction of his next class.  
  
All Changbin could do was glare at the direction he had walked off in before grabbing his own stuff. He was not in love with Felix! Jeez, could he not be close friends with someone without being accused of being in love with them? Sure Felix was amazing. He was so gorgeous, his eyes always seemed to be shining and those freckles that were splattered around his face only made his beauty stand out even more. He also had a nice voice, he could listen to him talk for ages, even if it was about some noob he had beaten in Fortnite. His smile could leave him _speechless_ —  
  
Changbin halted to a stop. “Shit,” he cursed to himself. Stupid Jisung. It was all his fault. He had never thought about Felix like this until he had planted the idea that he could possibly like him too. Although, he couldn’t help but wonder.  
  
_Was_ he in love with him? Changbin could admit that he had never felt so connected to a person before, but he thought that was because of their friendship. How could someone even know if they’re in love?  
  
The obnoxious school bell ringing was enough to draw him out of his thoughts. Crap, he was going to be late. He ran to his next class.

* * *

The week was finally over, and Changbin was still utterly confused about how he felt towards Felix. He wish he could say it didn’t put a strain on their relationship, but it did. Changbin tried to avoid Felix as much as he could outside of school, using finals as an excuse.   
  
If Felix thought it was weird, he didn’t say anything about it.  
  
As Jisung had insisted, they were on their way to look at the lights downtown. Minho and Jisung sat in the front, which resulted in a very squished Changbin, Felix, and underclassman Jeongin in the back.  
  
Jeongin was a good kid, younger than all of them. He was only a sophomore. The only reason Changbin knew him was because Jisung and Felix seemed to take a liking to the kid.  
  
”Uh, hyung? The middle seat doesn’t have a seatbelt,” Jeongin had said once he was situated in the middle of Changbin and Felix.  
  
Minho didn’t even bat an eye. “Oh yeah, the middle seat doesn’t have a seatbelt. Didn’t come with one,” he shrugged, locking eyes with them in the rear view mirror.  
  
”What? You’re putting the baby in danger!” Felix cried dramatically, resulting in a pout from Jeongin.  
  
”I’m only a year younger, you know..”  
  
Felix draped his arm over Jeongin’s shoulders, his hand barely touching Changbin’s shoulder as he did.  
  
Changbin hated to admit it, but the slight touch sent his heart racing. _So_ _stupid!_ He thought, although he still glanced over at him.  
  
”Binnie-hyung and I will keep you safe, Innie,” Felix declared loudly.  
  
”Just squish together and you guys should be fine. It’s a short ride,” Minho had added in, not seeing it as big of a deal as the others thought it was. Jisung gave them a pity smile.  
  
”Yah, you better drive quickly, Minho,” Changbin had spoken for the first time since he had entered the car. He didn’t miss the intense stare he had received from Felix.  
  
Minho and Jisung wasted no time in talking about some stupid thing the two of them both liked, and Jeongin would add in some comment every now and then. For once, Felix was quiet. His eyes were still intensely trained on Changbin, and it honestly made Changbin kind of nervous.   
  
Why was he staring at him so much? Was there something on his face? He passed a hand over his face just to make sure, but Felix was still staring at him. Changbin decided to just look out the window, hoping that nobody else could notice the heat rushing into his cheeks.

* * *

As Minho had promised, it was a fairly quick car ride. The street they were on was gorgeous. Even Changbin admitted it. Multicolored lights were all over the place, and there was an occasional Santa Claus blow up in a few lawns. There were also a couple of sleighs surrounded by golden reindeer. Snow was lightly falling, and Changbin was glad his mom had convinced him to bring along a scarf and some gloves.  
  
He stepped out of the car, careful to not slip on any snow. He had barely gotten out of the car before he heard Jisung’s booming voice, “Guys, let’s take a picture in front of that house!”  
  
”Sungie, we can’t just take pictures in front of a random person’s house without their permission,” Minho seemed to steal the words right out of Changbin’s mouth. Thank God, at least there was another person here with some common sense. “Let’s knock on the door first and ask if we can.”  
  
Never mind. Minho was just as weird as Jisung. Before Changbin could even tell them to not ask, the two had already raced to go ask the homeowners. A sudden hand on his shoulder caused him to jump slightly. A small laugh came from the person beside him, and Changbin felt his heart start to beat faster once more.  
  
”It’s just me. I was wondering, though, can we talk after the picture? You know, privately..” Felix trailed off, an unreadable expression on his face.   
  
Changbin looked over to see where Jeongin had gone, only to see the younger talking to presumably some people from his grade. Realizing that Felix was waiting for an answer, he slowly nodded his head. “Of course we can. Uh, what about?” Felix opened his mouth to respond before Jisung had come running back to them.  
  
”Good news, they said we can! I can’t wait to post this picture on Instagram and fool people into thinking that I was the one who decorated it,” Jisung revealed his master plan to them quietly before running to the front of the house where Minho was standing.  
  
Felix smiled one more time at Changbin before making his way over to them, Changbin following him closely behind.   
  
_What does Felix want to talk about? Is he finally going to yell at me for the crappy friend I’ve been? Oh crap, has he noticed me staring at him? Oh man._ Changbin was drawn out of his thoughts by Jeongin wrapping an arm around his shoulder for the picture.  
  
The person taking the picture, presumably one of the house owners, smiled politely at them. “Okay, on three, I’ll take the picture.” She counted down, all five boys grinning widely as she finally took the picture. “Merry Christmas,” she wished all of them as she handed the phone back to Jisung.  
  
”Ooh, we look so good!” Jisung cheerfully said, waving his phone around for everyone to see it. “I’ll send it to you guys once we get back in the car.”   
  
“Hey, look at that house!” Jeongin cried out in amazement, staring at the big, inflatable Santa on the roof of the house across the street. Jisung gasped.  
  
”I need a picture in front of that house,” he said in child-like amazement.  
  
Minho laughed. “I’ll take it, let’s go.” That was all he needed to have said before Jeongin and Jisung ran across the street.  
  
”We’re alone now,” Felix said, a slight smile gracing his lips. Some snow had fallen into his hair, and Changbin wanted to shake it out for him. He decided against it.  
  
”What’s up?” Changbin asked, trying to sound calm and put together, when he was really the opposite of those.   
  
Felix simply arched an eyebrow. “ _What’s up_  is that you have been avoiding me for the whole week. What’s up with that?” Felix asked, crossing his arms against his chest. The hurt was evident in his voice, and Changbin felt a pang in his chest.  
  
He didn’t mean to hurt him, that was the last thing he wanted to do. He gulped loudly. “I was studying for finals,” he said quietly, though he suspected that Felix knew he was lying.  
  
”We both know that’s a lie, Binnie. Did I do something wrong?” Felix asked, the small smile from earlier completely replaced with a sad frown.  
  
Changbin shook his head repeatedly. “What? No, you didn’t do anything wrong. It was my own fault,” the words had slipped out of his mouth before he even realized it. His eyes widened after, and so did Felix’s.   
  
Screw it. He should just get it over with. He can go home and patch up his broken heart with some cookies he knew his mom would be baking right now.   
  
“Truth is, Lix, I’m confused. I don’t know how it happened, or when it happened, but I think...” he trailed off, watching as Felix’s head tilted slightly. “I think I like you. And not, just as a friend anymore. Romantically, I mean,” Changbin admitted awkwardly.  
  
It was silent for a couple of moments. Felix staring at him, and Changbin staring at anything but him. Changbin opened his mouth to apologize before getting cut off by Felix.  
  
”What is wrong with you?” The sudden outburst from Felix made him flinch, his ears going red, not just because of the weather.   
  
He stared at the floor. “I...I don’t know. I’m sorry. I should go,” Changbin had started to say before Felix pulled on his arm.  
  
”Let me finish. What I meant by that, is why didn’t you tell me? I went about this whole week thinking you were mad at me! When in reality, you just think you like me? Did it ever occur to you that I might like you back?” Felix ranted, his eyes wide as he did.  
  
Changbin choked on air. “W-what?” He stupidly asked, mentally facepalming. Felix shook his head at him.  
  
”Wow, Jisung was right. You really are oblivious. Yes, Binnie, I like you too,” Felix said, letting out a small laugh. “I thought you’d notice eventually, but I guess not. I guess now’s a better time than any. Will you be my boyfriend, Binnie baby?” He said, staring at him while biting on his lower lip.  
  
Changbin looked at him in shock. Wow, Felix had really liked him this whole time? And here he thought he was good at reading people. “Okay. I’ll be your boyfriend,” Changbin said quietly, smiling. God, Felix’s smile was contagious.  
  
Before he could even acknowledge what was happening, Felix lightly pressed his lips against his. Oh wow, Changbin wasn’t expecting that tonight. He kissed back. Felix’s lips were soft, and tasted like gingerbread. He already knew it was from the chapstick Felix had made a point to use every winter. The two boys pulled away slowly, both of them soon looking at everything besides the other.  
  
Felix cleared his throat. “It’s so gorgeous out here, huh?” He said, an attempt to make conversation once more. Changbin smiled gently and looked over at him.   
  
“Yeah. Although, I think that has something to do with you being out here as well,” he mumbled, receiving a playful shove from Felix.  
  
”Didn’t think you’d be the cheesy kind of boyfriend,” he retorted with a giggle, running a hand through Changbin’s hair to remove the small amount of snow that had appeared.  
  
And for once, Seo Changbin had a greater appreciation for the winter time.

**Author's Note:**

> hi lol i’ll update best man eventually but for the time being i hope you enjoy this.


End file.
